"I’ve had it for three weeks and I don’t seem to be able to shift it," said one office worker.

"It doesn’t seem to matter whether I have an early night or not."

Robin Polding, 22, who is studying for a master’s degree at Cambridge University’s Clare College in the history and philosophy of science and whose dissertation is on the history of the common cold, explained why there is still no cure and how treatments used 400 years ago hold good today.

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He said: “The reason there’s still no cure for the common cold is because it’s not one single disease, but a number of closely-related viruses. Whenever you catch a specific cold virus, your body fights it off and you don’t catch the same cold again, but other colds can still be caught.

“For the same reason, any vaccine or drug that worked against a single virus might not work against any others - and cold viruses are constantly mutating and evolving too.

"Not to mention that funding for research into the common cold has mostly dried up - it’s not important enough for anyone to fund research into it, although billions are spent on over-the-counter medicines each year.

“Interestingly, the treatments we often use today - lying in bed, taking hot soups, warm, sweet drinks and throat lozenges - were all common back in the 1600s. While modern medicines might have new things like paracetamol in them, the type of treatments have stayed mostly the same for centuries.

“Flu and cold are generally seen as different things - colds are normally caused by rhinoviruses, whereas flu is caused by influenza viruses. However, a mild case of influenza may still be called a cold.

“‘Common cold’ is not a clearly defined clinical category, but more a collection of symptoms associated with various viruses.

“Outbreaks of colds have been observed at least since the 1600s. The first ever scientific journal, the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, published an account of an epidemic cough and cold in 1694, which spread as far as Dublin, London, France and the Netherlands."

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Dr Emma Tiffin, a e GP said: “Whilst colds are more common in the winter months, they are a common minor illness that we see all year round, with children having up to eight to 10 colds each year.

"We’d encourage patients to treat their colds and coughs at home with over the counter medications which can be bought from a local pharmacy.

"Over 40 per cent of GP appointments are for minor ailments such as colds and coughs, but local pharmacists also have the knowledge and skills to advise you on treatment, which frees up GP appointments so that patients can be seen quicker if they have a condition that must be treated by a doctor.

“It’s also important to remember that most coughs and colds, sinusitis, and sore throats get better without antibiotics.”

What can we do then?

However obvious this stuff may be (it's always good to be reminded:

- avoid sitting in air conditioned environments for too long, such as offices and airplanes

- disinfect everything, from your mobile phone to your work surfaces at home